TORCHWOOD ESOV
by 621Chopsuey
Summary: Lead by Captain Jack Harness, Torchwood ESOV is a research-defense force independent of Celestia's juristiction, founded to defend pony-kind from dangers inside and out. Following a series of mysterious attacks and reuniting with the captain, Roseluck joins the team and is exposed to the dark alien underworld of Equestria. Will feature the Mane Six, Background Six, Hooves Family,
1. Everything Changes

**Some time before the First Changeling Invasion**

Moonless darkness and waves of rainfall shrouded Canterlot that night. The streets were empty because of the torrential downpour that plagued the royal city. The buildings that housed shops and families were shut tight and darkened to the world except for an occasional glimmer of light emanating from a window or the lamps that lined the streets.

Most of the residents would be asleep at this late hour. One of the few ponies to be excluded from the comfort of a spouse and a bed was Crescent Sparkle. The unicorn was in his private study at home, sitting at his dark oak desk with a hoof under his chin and an expression of exhausting boredom etched on his face.

He had been up all night and for most of the day as well. It had been very hectic. After having gone through his usual wake-up routine, which consisted of bathing, grooming, and breakfast, Crescent had to be in Ponyville early for a meeting with Mayor Mare and several town officials. Mostly, it dealt with the increasing demand for security and defense for the equally increasing prominence of creatures and no-do-gooders that threatened the town on a frequent basis.

It wasn't all a waste. The unicorn had the opportunity to catch up with Time Turner, or Doctor Hooves as said stallion preferred. The eccentric Earth pony had been up to his usual escapades of daring adventure, having dragged several ponies in over the years as his temporary assistants. The Doctor eventually had settled down, having a few children, though he didn't go into any further detail with his marital status.

It must have been a complicated relationship between the Doctor and the poor mare that was unfortunate enough to get caught up in this. Crescent had nothing against the Doctor, absolutely not; simply the former had doubts about the latter when it came to relationships and what he considered his job.

Crescent never got much further than that with his old friend. Duty called when the meeting at town hall had concluded, which led the dull blue unicorn to his next event of the day: an audience with the Princess of the Sun herself. It was no doubt an honor to be summoned by Princess Celestia, everypony believed, but that was not often the case. Summons meant politics that rarely invoked genuine interest the community.

The father of Twilight Sparkle was a libertarian. He preferred a state that had a lack in nose-shoving from the regime and a prominence of self-government. That didn't imply Crescent held a strong dislike towards the Goddess of the Sun, definitely not. It was more so the high level of interest the Princess held for his daughter.

Sure, Twilight was unusually skilled in magic, which was the catalyst for her admission into the School for Gifted Unicorns and for Celestia's garnered interest, but that didn't mean Crescent whole-heartedly approved. He wanted a simple life for Twilight, not the life of an immortal princess.

He knew too much for his own good because of his job.

He couldn't complain, though; Crescent had seen enough in his youth to take on this position. Besides, because of the Princess his daughter had been introduced to the concept of friendship and was a hero in the hearts of ponies across the country since the return and subsequent defeat of Nightmare Moon.

That brought a small smile to Crescent's face as he leafed through the paperwork on his desk. That was actually from the last event of the day. Following the audience with the Princess, which was behind locked doors so that was classified to anypony not present, Crescent had been called in for the life-draining, daily indulgence in examining the extra-terrestrial.

To clarify, it was life-draining as in it was physically exhausting. Most of the time, the team he was assigned usually pursued life that was either dangerous or alien, from xenocidal Daleks and faceless, suited ponies with tendrils on their back, to manticores and parasprites. Today's pursuit was a deviation from that norm, as it was a fairly intense situation that required Crescent to step away from his administrative duties and be on the field.

It was a long chase in the streets of Canterlot that had run him ragged. Apparently, it was a griffon in possession of an artifact that was definitely not of Equestrian origin. The griffon, whom one of the local pegasi identified as Gilda, had quickly abandoned the object once she was cornered and escaped custody.

As of the time Crescent had left the hub to resume administration, the artifact was still under analysis. That left him with said paperwork and additional paperwork from the day's calamity to sign and reply to before the next morning.

Which was what he was doing now. The middle-aged unicorn sighed as he flexed his hoof in the same receptive motion, quill gripped and scribbling across the parchment. He had forgone magic about halfway through the stack of scrolls when he became aware of his slacking cognitive abilities. He would rather not scratch a nasty mark on any important document if his telekinesis faltered, so the unicorn went with the hoof. Crescent was definitely tired, but he had a brief moment of glee seeing he only had several more scrolls to read through and apply his signature to before he could turn in for the night.

Crescent glanced at the aged bronze fob watch on his desk. It was eleven o'clock. It shouldn't take too long. Maybe about thirty minutes tops before he was done. With renewed vigor, Crescent read the next document with gold eyes of intensity.

* * *

Twenty minutes, seven scrolls, and a small ink splatter later, Crescent had finally finished. He sighed in relief as he vacated the red, plush cushion of the swiveling chair and cantered out of his study.

The Sparkle Estate was not a true estate by any means. Of course, Crescent Sparkle and Twilight Velvet possessed a considerable fortune, but that did not mean they threw their bits left and right. The couple was conservative when it came to finances; they bought necessities first, then gingerly put bits in towards coveted goods.

So rather than a gargantuan mansion with fountains, hedges trimmed into the shapes of animals, and the stereotypical imagery of a financially-blessed clan, the Sparkles lived in what some would call and apartment suite. There was a den at the entrance of the residence, with the study tucked away to the right and a kitchen in the back. A set of stairs in another corner of the den led to a small hallway, which in turn led to Crescent and Velvet's bedroom, a guest room that originally served as the Shining and Twilight's domain until recently, and a bathroom.

It was overall simple and had an atmosphere comparable to that of a library and a café, with the rooms painted with earth tones and the furniture sharing a similar color scheme. The walls were ornamented with artwork that added to the ambience, as did the slight scent of mocha always apparent.

No wonder Twilight has a fascination with books.

Crescent stood in the room for a moment to enjoy the atmosphere. It relaxed him. He moved on towards the stairs. He had just laid a front hoof on the first step when he heard the sound of a hoof knocking on wood.

The stallion sighed in exasperation. He had no inkling of who it could be at this hour, let alone this torrential weather. It was no doubt neither of his children; last Crescent had heard, his daughter and Spike had not announced any plans for a visit and his son was on assignment Celestia-knows-where. As for Velvet, she was fast asleep upstairs.

Rolling his eyes, Crescent strode over to the door and opened it with a little more force than he intended. Behind the door was a pegasus mare with a dark blue coat, brown eyes, and a short blonde mane with bangs that were swept to the left. She was soaked to the bone, even with the hooded poncho she wore.

"Administrator Sparkle?" she asked in a lightly husky voice.

"Yes? " Crescent answered warily.

The mare saluted with a hoof, which revealed the sleeve of a military trench coat that was a darker shade of blue that her fur. "Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, sir." The pegasus lowered her hoof, face remaining as emotionless and stoic.

"How may I help you, Lieutenant?" Crescent asked.

"I need you to come with me, Administrator. There is something you should see."

The unicorn raised an eyebrow. Late hours, heavy downpour, and a Royal Guard was at his doorstep. Obviously there was something going on in Canterlot.

But he had to ask. "What is it?"

The Lieutenant replied, "We don't know, sir. That's why I need you to come with me. The rest of your team is being escorted to the scene as we speak."

Oh. It was one of _those_ situations. If the local authorities were unable to make heads or tails of a lifeform or an occurrence, then the burden was forwarded over to Torchwood.

Torchwood: outside the government, beyond the Royal Guard. The stallion had to grin inwardly. If Shining ever uncovered the truth of Crescent's occupation, he'd never hear the end of it.

A voice other than the Lieutenant's spoke up from behind. "Honey? Is everything alright?" The stallion turned his head to face his wife. Her violet-and-white striped mane was disheveled and her drooped ice-blue eyes made apparent the grogginess she was slowly overcoming.

Crescent allowed a brief moment to appreciate the adorable sight of his wife in this state. He then returned to the matter at hoof just as quickly by trotting up to Velvet and laying a quick peck on her lips. He then proceeded to say, "Work-related business, dear. It will probably be a few hours before I come home."

Rather than reply with the cliché of "Yes, honey, everything is alright", Crescent had decided to keep the answer as neutral as possible while imply the positive. In reality though, nothing was alright. If a member of the military was at his home with orders to bring him, the administrator himself, along for a late night investigation, then not a single thing was alright. But he had to keep up the act to keep his wife from worrying too much.

Had she any idea what he did for a living, Velvet would be beyond worried; she would watch him like a hawk.

"Okay," said Velvet, her voice still holding traces of doubt despite the small smile she wore. "Be careful."

"I will." Crescent gave her another quick peck and trotted back to Lieutenant Hawkeye, grabbing a grey poncho off the coat rack with his magic as he did so. Once he had slipped into the raingear, the unicorn spoke to his pegasus subordinate. "Lead the way, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

They two had left the complex along with a guard that was keeping watch at the entrance. The rain hindered their efforts at seeing where they were going, despite the lamps that lined the cobblestone street. Taking the initiative, Crescent Sparkle illuminated the darkness of the streets with a light from his horn.

It took the trio some time before they arrived at the scene of the crime. Several poncho-garbed guard ponies were thronged around a building, most of them unicorns also providing illumination to pierce the veil of heavy rain. The remainders of the squad were another pegasus and an earth pony that were apparently awaiting the arrival of Torchwood.

The pegasus nodded at Crescent. "Administrator."

Crescent took a quick glance at the guard's rank emblazoned on his armor and returned the nod. "Lieutenant." The Administrator took a look around and noticed a lack of certain group within the cluster of guards. "Have you heard from the others?"

The Lieutenant shook his head. "Not yet, sir. They should be arriving any moment now, though." As if on cue, an escort of earth pony guards emerged from around a corner opposite the direction Administrator Sparkle and his armed entourage had arrived. In between the twin columns of guards were a brown-coated mare with a dark pink mane and a thick cloak, and a pale blue stallion with a suave white-and-grey mane. The stallion had a pink umbrella supported over himself and his companion via his magic.

The Administrator greeted his associates with a simple hello once they joined the rest of the group. "No word from Jack?"

Pierce sighed in disappointment. "No. Knowing him, he is without a doubt with another pony."

Crescent shook his head. "We might as well get started." He turned to the armored pegasus stallion. "Lieutenant—,"

"— Ghost—,"

"— could you explain what you've uncovered so far?"

Lieutenant Ghost nodded and motioned for Crescent, Pierce, and Candy to follow, with Lieutenant Hawkeye bringing up the rear. The group trotted towards the building. Crescent got a better view of what had happened as they drew up to front doors—at least, where the front doors used to be. Rather than a twin set, a gargantuan hole was blown out of the building, which had littered debris inside and out. Some of the building was suffering additional damage from the soaking precipitation from above.

The administrator's eyes widened. How in Tartarus did this happen?

The Lieutenant and company entered through the hole and into what was a shop. Crescent had never been to this particular establishment, but from what he could gather from the strewn about broken pottery, old clocks, and other aged artifacts, he concluded that this was an antique shop.

Ghost spoke. "From what we've gathered from witnesses here, a mare entered the shop and attempted to purchase an artifact on a shelf behind the counter. The clerk refused, said it was only for display." He gestured to the damage to the interior. "The mare was hell bent on getting it and refused to leave until she did so. He wouldn't allow it and that's when it gets interesting."

"She had to be a unicorn to do that sort of damage," said Pierce, nodding his muzzle back in direction of the hole in the wall behind them.

"That's where you're wrong, sir," Ghost countered with a grim tone. "She wasn't a unicorn. She wasn't even a _pony_."

"Then what was it?" asked Candy Mane.

Ghost remained silent for a moment before answering. "None of us really know. Some of the patrons claim the mare transformed into an insect-like creature with wings and a horn in a burst of green flame. It then went rampant and escaped with the relic—"

"—via the hole in the wall that was created from what can be assumed as a detonation spell." Crescent finished.

"An insect with wings and a horn?" Candy Mane asked aloud at no pony in particular. "I haven't heard of anything like that."

"Neither have I." Pierce added, "Though the database back in the hub should give us what we need. We can research it once everything here is wrapped up."

"Don't need to," said a masculine voice. The group turned and saw a dark blue stallion in a dark blue-grey military coat. He had a spiked, sky blue mane and equally blue eyes. The mystery pony tapped his left hoof with his right, indicating a leather band with buttons and a screen. "I got what we need right here," he added with a grin.

"Captain Harness." Hawkeye and Ghost saluted.

Crescent's brow furrowed. "Why the delay?"

"Simple: We took our time. Flying in this kind of weather isn't the best course of action, so we had to walk, Administrator Sparkle." Captain Harness retorted with a light tone and smile some would take as conceited.

Crescent rolled his eyes as Jack entered and fiddled with his vortex manipulator. A lot more than the weather slowed the captain down. The administrator would write him off in a heartbeat if his hypothesis was correct. It was no secret that the renowned Captain Jack Harness slept around. Not with just mares or stallions, but any other creature that was sentient and consenting.

He could never understand how the pegasus got around. Maybe it was the charming smile that he usually pulled off. Crescent had seen it the few times he and Jack had gone to the bar after a long day's work. The Captain would eye somepony, trot up to her (or him), and greet them with a hoofshake, a charming smile, and the introduction of "Well, hello there. I'm Captain Jack Harness."

_I swear he could even bring a boulder to blush._

He would then be gone for the rest of the night with the pony of his liking. The last time Crescent and Jack had gone for a couple of drinks, the latter simply explained that he shagged. If he found anypony he liked, he would be frank and offer a night's worth of pleasure. When asked why he did it, Jack just said that it was fun and that it felt great. Anypony has the right to a great time.

To be honest, that sounded a lot like another ethical omnisexual Crescent had been fortunate enough _not_ to be banged by.

How did ponies like them do it? Sex was meant to be between a stallion and a mare and that was that. Crescent could never understand how anypony could simply breach the barriers of sexuality and engage in the act with … well, anyone other than what he believed to be the norm.

The Administrator shook his thoughts away and brought himself back to the present moment. He was on duty and he had a mystery to solve.

Crescent saw Jack still pressing away at the buttons of his vortex manipulator. The latter noticed his gaze. "It malfunctioned on the way here."

Deciding to get more answers and make the best of their time, the Administrator asked Hawkeye a question. "What have you accomplished as of now?"

"As the Lieutenant mentioned, we've asked witnesses for their take on the incident. They have been escorted to the station for detailed testimonies."

Pierce then asked with a somber tone the one dreaded question that had been avoided successfully until now. "Casualties?"

"One." Hawkeye gestured to Ghost, who in return stepped aside from his position near the counter. A blue, blood-stained cloth was draped over a body. With permission given inaudibly, Crescent, Candy, and Pierce walked to the tarp and pulled it aside to reveal the body beneath. "The victim is Apple Fritter," Hawkeye informed, "Earth pony female, mid-twenties. Member of the Apple Family. Resident of Appleoosa and worked the orchids."

"Poor girl," said Pierce as he leaned in to examine the still form. Crescent and Candy leaned in over his shoulders to get a better view.

The mare in question was lying on her side, eyes closed and mouth slightly agape. Her green mane was tied in two pigtails that graced her neck and her pastel brown fur was covered with some dust and a few small chunks of brick. A small pool of blood was present beneath her head and neck.

Pierce reached into the saddlebag he had on his back and pulled out a pair of gloves. Once he put them on with is magic, the unicorn stallion laid his protected hooves on Apple Fritter's body and began inspecting it for signs of injury.

As he did so, Candy turned her gaze on Lieutenant Hawkeye. "Does she have any family in the area? Like a spouse?"

"Yes. Her husband was with her during the incident. Meadow Song," the pegasus mare remained silent before she continued. "He was … distraught when we had to escort him."

Crescent's ears folded down slightly. He couldn't blame Fritter's husband. Had it been his wife caught in this calamity, Crescent would have great difficulty maintaining his composure. He couldn't bear to see Velvet suffer, let alone watch her die in some freak accident.

_All of this for a knick-knack? _"You mentioned the unknown mare demanding to purchase an antique before the incident. What was it?" inquired the Administrator.

"The shopkeeper said it was an amulet."

Captain Jack cantered over to the congregation. "It wouldn't happen to be the Alicorn Amulet, would it?"

Crescent raised an eyebrow. "What do you know about it?"

"It's one hay of a relic with several legends surrounding it," began the Captain, "Some say it was crafted with thundersteel forged from the heavens and crystals originating from the mythical Crystal Empire. It can empower the wearer with magical abilities beyond imagining, even if the user wasn't a unicorn."

"Abilities beyond that of even the Princesses?" Candy had to ask.

"I wouldn't say that, but no doubt on par with them. Besides, the problem with the amulet is that it corrupts one's will while in use, which renders the wearer more dangerous and less willing to rid of it. I doubt anypony would have used it for long if they found out that tidbit." Captain Jack focused on Crescent. "But why do you ask?"

"I believed it to be a legend for much of my life."

"It's legitimate," said the Captain with a solemn tone, "I can vouch for that."

This was beginning to arouse another one of Crescent's doubts for the pegasus. Not only was he, dare he label him, a whorse, but also very secretive about his past. The administrator barely knew anything about Captain Jack other than his connections with Doctor Hooves. "You've seen it before? In the flesh?"

Captain Jack's bravado faltered. "Yes." His tone was firm. "And I'd rather not talk about it."

Before Crescent could steer the discussion into a verbally aggressive direction, Pierce piped up from his medical examination. "Jack, Administrator, you might want to see this."

Said ponies, along with Candy, Hawkeye and Ghost, looked down at the limp form of Apple Fritter, who was now positioned belly-up.

"She's suffered some trauma to the back of the head and her lower back. Some visible bruising—," Pierce guided his audience with a hoof to the blotches of black and blue that were visible through her tan coat, "—but nothing that would kill her."

"Then how did she die?" Candy asked.

"I cannot say for sure. It's like …" Pierce trailed off.

"Like what, Pokey?" asked Crescent.

The unicorn locked eyes with his superior. "It's like the life was drained out of her."

The room remained silent, save for the continuing storm outside. It felt as if it also dropped several degrees at that very moment. Crescent shuffled his hooves hesitantly before breaking the brief silence. "If the amulet is capable of this sort of magic—."

"It's not." Jack interjected. "It's limited to reducing or advancing age when it comes to biological magicks."

Crescent's patience was wearing thin. "Captain, if you have anything valuable information regarding the Alicorn Amulet, I suggest you pass it on to myself and the rest of the team."

"I'd be more concerned with who or what our mystery attacker is," Jack said neutrally.

"You are implying it did this on its own?" Crescent gestured to the body.

"Yes. Before you get the wrong idea, just listen. I've seen a lot of things and right now I want to deny what is most likely the reality of the situation. But considering the evidence piling up …" Jack sighed. He was hesitant in sharing what he believed was the truth about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Crescent stared at the Captain with firm, gold eyes. "Tell us."

Jack returned it with cold, blue eyes. "This remains between all of us in the room until it is definite. Understand?" The other members of Torchwood and the two lieutenants nodded in confirmation. "We might be dealing with an imminent invasion."

"From whom?" asked Lieutenant Ghost, his voice barely containing his eagerness.

Captain Jack opened his mouth to answer when he was cut off by loud horrid gasp that made everyone jump. They all looked down to see Apple Fritter sitting up and taking deep heavy breaths, eyes wide open and glazed.

Ghost quickly recoiled to the ceiling via his wings. "Bloody Tartarus! She's still alive!"

Apple Fritter quickly shifted her head left and right as if she was looking for something or somepony. Her breathing was ragged, but was no longer making the high-pitch squeals that were gasps. Her body was shaking. Not violently, but noticeably to where Pierce had to lay his hooves on her chest and the back of her neck to calm the mare down.

"Can you hear me?" Pierce asked in a gentle tone. "You're safe. Nopony can hurt you. Relax."

From his point of view, Crescent could see the apple farmer slowing down her rate of breathing as she was instructed. Apple Fritter seemed to be more alert of her surroundings considering she was focusing on the stallion who had physical contact with her.

"Where … am ah?" the mare breathed. She still shook.

"The antique shop," answered Pierce.

It was another moment before Fritter spoke. "Is Meadow here?"

Captain Jack answered her question. "He isn't, but he is safe, too."

"Can ah see him?"

"Soon," was all he said to her. He then spoke to Pierce. "We're taking her to Canterlot Medical." He trotted off and out of the hole. Pierce took a moment to cast an amber sphere around his patient, which lifted her up into the air. The unicorn then followed his superior with Fritter magically in tow.

Ghost slowly descended from his perch on the ceiling. Once his hooves touched the floor, he commented with a hint of surprise, "I've seen my fair share of miracles, but this one tops them all."

"Pity this is one of the few times we see a happy ending." said Candy.

"I rather we not tempt fate just yet," Crescent responded. His earth pony subordinate made a slight sound of amusement. "What?"

"Like father, like daughter. You're never satisfied until you see it to the very end." She earned a similar sound in return.

The sound of clip-clopping halted the brief friendly banter. A carriage pulled up to the gaping hole, splashing water from a sizable puddle in front of it. The drivers were two unicorns whose horns were ablaze with individual spheres of white light that pierced the dense veil of rain.

Captain Jack leaned his head out of the rear. His face was neutral as he spoke to Crescent. "Pierce will stay with our miracle mare overnight for observation. I'll head back to the hub and gather what I can about the attacker.

"Lieutenants, if you could have Apple Fritter's husband sent to the medical center as soon as possible, that would be great."

The two guards nodded and exited through the doorway, leaving Candy and Crescent. The Administrator gave the Captain a serious look. "You said you knew who it was."

"I do. But you don't. That means a few hours skimming the database for whatever you need to know about it."

"And where does that leave us?"

"I have this all under control, so I _suggest_ you two take the rest of the night off." Normally, Crescent would tell Jack he didn't have the right to give him orders, being of a lower rank on the team. But two things influenced him to act otherwise.

First, Jack was keeping a lot in the dark about the mystery attacker. He normally kept secrets, but was a little extra stingy on this topic. Considering, though, the pegasus implied he knew enough to claim he could handle the situation from here and have everything ready for tomorrow (or the next day) for the rest of the team, then Crescent was fine with it.

They may be at odds with one another, but that didn't mean they couldn't work together.

As for the second, Crescent really needed that night to himself. Judging from the clock by the counter, it was a few minutes past midnight. The unicorn had a long day that was made longer than necessary because of the events of the past half hour.

If Velvet was still awake … oh, he was definitely in no mood to argue. He could already feel the softness of her mane and fur, the warmth of her body, the tight and wet—.

"Fine then," Crescent agreed. "But I want copies of the testimonies and everything else sent to me as soon as possible."

"You got it." Jack shot his soaked head back into the military carriage as it was pulled away from the shop and into the darkness of the cobblestone streets.

Candy Mane sighed as she pulled up the hood of her cloak. "Another night with Torchwood. Good night, Administrator Sparkle." She then trotted out of the doorway and went back to her home. Crescent followed suit, giving his farewells and good nights to the Lieutenants and their unit.

As he walked through the rain-soaked streets in his equally drenched poncho, the unicorn stallion frowned. Captain Jack spoke of an imminent invasion. From what, Crescent didn't know. He trusted Jack enough for him to take over, but that trust could only go so far. In his opinion, Crescent believed others within the military should be made aware of the threat. He could leak this to his son, him being the Captain of Celestia's Royal Guard and all.

But would it be worth it?

For all they knew, this mystery attacker could be an independent character and have no connections with the invasion. Hay, Jack may even be preparing for a worse-case scenario that will not happen.

This was Captain Jack Harness, though. A pegasus with origins as shady as his sex life. A stallion who claimed not to exaggerate what he said, no matter how ludicrous. A character that possessed seemingly infinite knowledge detailing anything that was not of this world.

And a pony who was right more often than not. Much more often.

Crescent covered his mouth with a hoof when he yawned. He quickened his pace. It was getting late, and Crescent preferred not to waste as much time as he could. He had a warm bed and a gorgeous mare awaiting his arrival, and the unicorn had more than adequate sleep on his mind.


	2. From Out of the Rain

**Torchwood ESOV**

**Chapter 2: From Out of the Rain**

"Will she be okay?" Meadow Song asked.

Jack laid a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. The two stallions were in one of the many rooms of Canterlot's Medical Center. The walls and floor tiles were a stark white, unlike the calming greens and browns of Ponyville Hospital. On the plus side, it was more accommodating, the room being somewhat larger than said hospital.

If one entered the room, they would see a window that spanned the majority of the wall before him. To the left would be a secluded room that housed a toilet. Around the wall that separated the bathroom and the main room were twin chairs, both made of light-colored cedar. Next to them was the main attraction: the large bed where the patient would remain in until able and healed. Surrounding it were monitoring equipment and their counterparts, the typical setup of a hospital room.

Occupying the bed was Apple Fritter, who was asleep for the time being. Her husband, Meadow, leaned on the gray plastic rail that prevented a patient from rolling of the bed. He stroked her green mane as he gave Jack a concerned look. The brown stallion's eyes were noticeably red and tear-stained. Jack and Pierce attributed it to Meadow's emotional breakdown.

"Don't worry," Jack replied, "your wife will be back on her hooves before you know it." He added a small smile for effect. "Just give her a few days." It seemed to work as Meadow returned an equally minute smile and turned to gaze at Apple Fritter affectionately.

"That's good to hear," commented the prospector as he gently gripped Apple Fritter's hoof in his. She stirred a little in response and a small smile graced her muzzle. "Ah doubt Ah could handle letting her go. Other than her family, Frits is all Ah have."

Jack's breath hitched slightly.

"Out of curiosity, how long have you two been married?" Pierce had looked up from reading over the clipboard containing Apple Fritter's medical records. The blue-gray unicorn was seated in one of the chairs, a cup of coffee steaming on the adjacent table.

Meadow grinned. "Tied the knot last summer in Appleloosa."

"Congratulations," said the unicorn with genuine praise.

"Hoo boy, that was one hay of a wedding, havin' all the Apples, Oranges, Cherries in the same room. You probably know about the rivalry between us three, yeah?"

Pierce took a sip of his coffee. "All too well, Meadow." The unicorn placed the clipboard down and turned to Meadow. "As a matter of fact, I had a one night stand with Berry Punch some time ago. You'll be amazed at what she says in a drunken stupor."

The prospector removed his hoof from his counterpart and ran it through his mane, curious. "Ya don't say?" Meadow walked over and occupied the vacant chair next to Pierce. He leaned back, one foreleg over the back of the chair, the other dangling at his side. He seemed comfortable sitting in a position more suitable to bipeds. Maybe he was one of the few ponies, like Lyra, who found it natural and not a burden on the spine. "What'd she go on about?" the stallion asked with a sly smile.

"Well, being a close relative of the Cherry Clan…"

While the two were gossiping on the matter of family affairs, Jack was immersed within a world of his own. A world of memories buried deep within the recesses of his subconscious, memories of a past plagued by darkness and destruction best to be forgotten with the passage of time.

_He stood on a beach of white sand that spanned as far as he could see. Behind him was a thicket of dried shrubbery that bordered the forest beyond. Ahead of Jack was the ocean, crisp and blue. Waves spewed foam upon the shoreline as if attempting, and failing, to drag the dry land into the ocean depths._

_In the distance there were dwellings, small houses crafted from glass and stone scattered amongst a series of squat spires made of marble. It was a village situated on the edge of the spit of land jutting out into the sea._

_Jack felt the wind tickle his face and blow through his mane. He inhaled the scents it carried in its ethereal caress. It was crisp, with a hint of salt from the seas sprinkled throughout. The pegasus could smell the pheromones, too, the scents that drew beings together and instilled feelings of need and desire within them._

_He smiled. It was the Boeshmane Peninsula._

_It was home._

_Screaming shattered the serenity of the scene._

"_Jack!" somepony cried. "Jack!"_

"Jack!"

The pegasus in question whipped his head towards the caller of his name. Pierce was giving him a concerned look while Meadow eyed him suspiciously. For a few brief moments, Jack felt his mouth open and quietly draw in steady breaths. He could feel his rapidly-beating heart slowly pacify itself to a normal level. A few beads of sweat ran down his temples and forehead, aiding in the cooling of his heated form.

"Yeah?" Jack replied, his voice slightly shaky.

Pierce held the silence for a few seconds. "Are you alright?"

_No, I'm not,_ thought Jack. But his audible response said otherwise. "Yeah. I was just thinking over the compilation I need to work on later. Specifics and relevance and all." He added his trademark grin for emphasis.

Inside, the captain hoped his subordinate would get the message. If working with Pokey Pierce for several years had anything to teach Captain Jack, it was the vitality of hidden signals. To anypony outside the loop, they would most likely assume everything was fine or the subject was to be avoided; rather, between Jack and Pierce, it meant that it was a matter they needed to talk about sometime soon.

The leader of Torchwood watched expectantly as both stallions in the room gave him a hard look. Pierce then gave a subtle nod and an equally subtle smile. "If you say so."

Jack breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"And since you say so, you ought to leave now." Pierce added, "Can't really put something together just by standing in place, can you?"

He was right. Better now than later or else Administrator Sparkle would have his hide. "Good idea. I'd better get on it," Jack agreed. "Good night, Pierce." He gave a polite nod to Meadow Song before trotting out the door, coat fluttering behind him.

Jack had barely gone a dozen steps before a voice called out to him. He stopped and turned to find Pierce following. The unicorn halted his progress and gave his superior that same concerned look from earlier.

"Jack. What's wrong? It's more than just the case, isn't it?"

The pegasus sighed. "It's happening again."

Silence lingered as Pierce took the time to process Jack's implication. "The memory flashes?"

"Yeah."

"I thought we took care of that. Princess Luna walked through your nightmares and Candy Mane-"

Jack gave the unicorn a hard stare. "I know, Pokey, but not everything stays gone forever." He then lowered his head and closed his eyes. He sighed. "Nothing ever does." Even though he couldn't see him, Jack could sense the minute flinch emanating from Pierce. Rarely had he ever used his associate's first name before and most of those times involved a moment of irritation and weakness that tore the captain apart. He hated raising his voice at a good friend like Pokey Pierce.

"I'm sorry," apologized Jack, his voice quivering.

"Don't worry." He felt a hoof on his shoulder. A reassuring hoof. He liked reassuring hooves. "I understand. It's not an easy subject to discuss."

Relief once again consumed Jack in the form of a sigh. He looked up and locked eyes with his friend. "Thanks." Then a thought ran through Jack's mind. He spoke again, this time uttering Pierce's name. It was one of those other times when he would say his name, this time when it was a moment of importance, be it a simple word of caution or a moment of ecstasy during a good shag. "Pokey …"

"Hmm?"

"There's something I need to tell you. It's related to the incident from earlier."

The peaceful ambience of the hospital was broken with Meadow's ecstatic voice from inside the room. A gentler, female voice followed and intermingled with his into a conversation that was audible enough to be heard from the hallway.

Pierce removed his hoof. He took a quick peek behind him before returning his attention to Jack. "What about it?"

Jack wanted to at least give his colleague an inkling of what he believed to be imminent in the Canterlot's future. But for all he knew, the pegasus could be wrong about it. The invasion could easily not occur at all, and this was simply an isolated incident. That could be the case.

But he knew how these creatures acted as Jack had faced them in the distant past. He learned that they were deceptive by nature and were relentless when conquering territory. As commander of Equestrian Special Operations and Vanguard, it was the duty of Captain Jack Harness to ensure the safety of all pony-kind.

This meant he couldn't risk deluding himself into believing this was nothing more than a random theft and attempted murder. He had to let the others know. In hindsight, Jack _should_ have let the others be aware of his presumptions. That would have been the rational choice.

But he ignored it and chose to keep quiet.

Once again, Administrator Sparkle was going to have his hide.

Jack might as well right his wrongs now. With that in mind, the captain motioned for Pierce to follow him. They walked down the hallway until they found the closest restroom. The entered the stallion's room. Pierce waited in the center of the checker-tiled floor and stark white walls while Jack quickly made sure the door was locked tight.

Satisfied, the pegasus adjusted his coat and walked over to Pierce.

"Very cramped in here," the unicorn said in an amused voice, inquisitive eyes scanning the bathroom. "Are you sure you didn't bring me here just to shag?" A sly smile formed on his lips.

Jack couldn't help but grin at the lewdness of his subordinate's suggestion. Pierce was usually professional and a no-nonsense worker. He spoke when spoken to and did his job well like a good working pony should, albeit the involvement of aliens and the supernatural.

Other times, often in private, but occasionally in the presence of the others, the unicorn could jest with anything sexual at the drop of a hat. Jack liked that about him. That and the hot coffee he brewed practically every morning for the team.

Jack hastily pushed away those thoughts and returned his attention to Pierce. "Now that we're somewhere private …" His grin faded. "We may be at risk of a Changeling invasion."

Pierce raised an eyebrow. "Changelings? Never heard of them."

"I figured," Jack commented. "Not many ponies these days are aware of what a Changeling is, let alone hearing the name of the species. Last they had general contact with the population was at the signing of the Canterlot-Chrysalis Treaty."

"The Canterlot-Chrysalis treaty?"

"It's a treaty that was signed by the leaders of the world around five hundred years ago. Signers include Princess Celestia, the King of Griffon Kingdom, and Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling Empire. It was a decree that relocated the Changeling species to isolated territory up north and prevented any contact between them and us. Very few sightings have been reported since then."

"What are they, exactly?"

"One of the worst creatures you can imagine," the pegasus said grimly, "They have the ability to shapeshift into the form of anypony—to be specific, a lover. They do this in order to blend in with whatever society they are in to be the leading edge of an invasion force. Once they arrive, Changelings are near damn impossible to push out."

Pierce stood there, simply dumbfounded. He rubbed a hoof to his temple. "How are they so dangerous? What do they look like?"

"A Changeling's true form is an insect with a black carapace, wings like a fly, and a horn like beetle. They look like insects … _parasites_," he spat out the word like poison, "and that's just what they are. They feed off of love, be it the love shared between mother and foal or the intimate romance between mare and stallion.

"They feed through many ways. The most common approach is to disguise itself as one of the two individuals bound together. There, it can gradually drain the life and love out of either victim without them becoming aware of its presence. This is done with magic"

"W-wait. If that is how they feed, then why did Apple Fritter have bite marks on her neck?"

"The other, most direct method is by biting into the victim's neck with its fangs and absorbing minute amounts of positive emotion. This is taxing on the life force as negative emotions acts like a cancer once all the happiness is drained away. The inexperienced or the hasty of the species resort to this."

Pierce fell back on his rump. Jack could tell this was an overwhelming amount of information to receive in a short period of time. On top of that, this was about a powerful parasitic species that had not been seen for several centuries, give or take a century.

_I wonder how the others will react to this. Probably just as surprised._

"So far, we've seen a possible sighting of _one_ Changeling." Jack continued, "For all we know, it could be rogue and working for independent parties. It could be working with others and be the preliminary strike force for an invasion. Hay, it could be alone and have nothing to do with military operations.

"But I'm not turning a blind eye to this and risking the safety of Canterlot." He could feel the anger rising in his voice. He could feel more of the buried memories pushing to the surface, waiting to be exploited. Rather than submit to his inner fury; Jack calmed himself with a long, drawn out breath.

"We'd better alert the Royal Guard then," suggested Pierce, slowly regaining his footing. "If we are at risk for an attack—."

Jack cut him off. "No, we are not informing the Guard." He turned to leave. "I'm going to investigate this on my own." The pegasus then walked to the door and began to unlock it. He barely laid a hoof on the lock when he felt a pair of hooves on his shoulders gently turn him around.

"Jack …"

Jack's ice blue eyes met Pierce's amber orbs. The pegasus felt his heart beginning to race a bit faster, as well as his body heating up noticeably. He watched as Pierce—no, Pokey—slowly leaned his muzzle in, lips slightly parted and eyes gradually closing. The pegasus followed suite and their slightly flushed faces met in a chaste kiss.

The mutual exchange lasted for a few seconds before the two stallions parted.

Pokey tenderly rubbed Jack's shoulder as their eyes met once again. "Be careful," he said.

Jack grinned at his counterpart; it was that charming grin that identified with him. "Don't worry. I'll be fine," said the pegasus reassuringly. He went to unlock the door to the bathroom. "Just remember to stay here until you get Apple Fritter's account of the attack." The locked clicked.

"Got it," Pierce replied.

The pair then left the bathroom and parted ways with a last look and a wave.

He wasn't sure how long had been in Canterlot Medical Center. However long, it was enough to for the rain to subside to a light drizzle. That was a relief, Jack would rather fly back to the Hub than walk now that the storm was pretty much over and done with. He didn't mind walking from time to time, but nothing compared to the feeling of denying the ground his hooves with every beat of his wings.

Jack felt his hooves leave the cobblestone as the beating of his wings took him to the air. He flew forward through the night, weaving in between the street lamps to amuse him on his journey back.

Idle thoughts ran through his mind. Should he really deal with chasing down this Changeling on his own? Should he alert the Royal Guard of this? To be frank, Jack wasn't sure. Initially, he was eager to find the culprit once he saw the evidence at the antiquity shop scream "Changeling". He had a history with them. They had done things that scarred him for life, and vowed to have his revenge on them. It was a lust for blood that quickly overtook him.

That was about a couple of hours ago.

Now that he had calmed down and had time to think through the matter, Jack felt as if he was making a mistake. Having firsthoof experience with these parasites, the pegasus was aware of the risks of taking on a Changeling one on one, let alone army on army. And he had seen the results of overestimating the abilities of one.

Jack quickly shifted mental gears to avoid recalling the gruesome images. He should really focus on gathering the necessary data on the Changeling species for his colleagues. It didn't take a genius to figure out none of the others were aware of what Changelings were.

The Captain came in for a landing on the sidewalk. _This isn't right_, he thought. He should disregard this obsession for the time being until this matter was sorted out properly. Better not to fly in blindly and make this any worse than it is, be it due to an unhealthy grudge or a lack of preparation. Jack lifted his forehoof and pulled back the sleeve of his coat to reveal a strap of brown leather wrapped around his leg.

His vortex manipulator.

Jack never went anywhere without it. It was a device that served many functions, mainly for sending commands to the Hub's wireless interface, scanning for life forms, and teleporting the wearer and anyone else making physical contact with said wearer. Again, those were a few of the many uses the piece of technology possessed.

It was made of a fine, durable leather that made it comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The inner workings of the manipulator were designed with a combination of thunderforged steel to render it cloud-friendly and quantum energy provided within a miniscule crystal infused with complex magicks that reacted with rift energy to enable teleportation.

Jack activated a command after punching in a few codes. In the span of a moment, he had relayed a command to the Hub's digital database to locate, copy, and extract any information regarding the changeling species, from biology and preferred living conditions to history and culture. Once all of it was gathered, the system would then compile the data into a folder and have it ready for manual manipulation.

Thank Celestia he managed to get it operating correctly on the way to the medical center.

Satisfied once the phrase _DOWNLOAD IN PROGRESS_ appeared on his manipulator's display, Jack lowered his hoof and continued at a trot down the street. The Hub's entrance was only a few blocks away, so he didn't mind taking his time walking. It would probably be a while as the information downloaded, so Jack decided to make use of that ample time to properly construct a course of action for this mystery.

A bolt of lightning arced across the night sky. Jack didn't overreact like a startled filly, only just gave a brief glance at the sky. Being a pegasus, Jack had previous experience in weather management. It was a fairly decent job: the pay was satisfactory, the co-workers were friendly most of the time, and the work was difficult, but rewarding.

To be honest, he wouldn't mind going back to cloud pushing if the opportunity arose. Sure the thrill of encountering alien life and scavenging the technology it left behind always made every day exciting, but sometimes taking it slow and just enjoying life rather than protecting it every hour of the day was equally fulfilling.

A low rumble of thunder followed.

_One day …_ thought Jack, _but not now_. As long as Torchwood existed, he was needed. It was as simple as that. Well, not really that simple. Unlike most residents of Canterlot, Cloudsdale, and Ponyville, Captain Jack had run-ins with all sorts of alien life on a daily basis, and he had been in that position for years. He knew of what mysterious creatures lay beyond or within the borders of Equestria.

Some would say he was special like that.

There were other potential leaders of the Torchwood team that had been considered. The Doctor was one, but he was always travelling throughout time and space in his TARDIS. He had his own way of dealing with the extraterrestrial and the temporal. It was surprising even to Jack that the Doctor managed to raise a family in the midst of his dangerous exploits, and it was a wonderful family at that.

_I ought to visit them sometime._ It had been a while since he had last seen the Hooves. The last time Jack had interacted with them was Hearts and Hooves Day. The Doctor and Derpy had gone off to do what heart-bound couples do (like having a nice dinner and a shag) while Dinky and Sparkler got to enjoy spending the day with 'Uncle Jack'.

Yeah, he definitely needed to plan a get-together with them once he had a chance. Maybe at the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Captain Shining Armor? It was in a few days and from what Jack heard, practically everypony will be watching or attending the "biggest event of the year".

_Doctor and Depry never turn down weddings, so they and the kids will definitely be in Canterlot for this._ Dinky and Sparkler were fans of weddings, too, but Jack was sure they had their own reasons.

Another bolt of lightning illuminated the street tenfold for the briefest moment, jarring Jack out of his lengthy mental tangent. The captain shook away the clutter in his head and focused on returning to the Hub. He gave the sky a brief look before facing forward again.

That was when Jack's heart skipped a couple of beats.

A figure stood under a streetlamp ahead of him, bathed in the dim light. It was a young colt, a pegasus to be precise. His fur was tan, possessing a slight red tinge if Jack wasn't fooled by the gloomy atmosphere. The colt's mane was somewhat frizzy and auburn. He wore a dark shirt and wraps appearing to be made of white linen.

The young pegasus was staring at Jack with cold eyes. The latter could only stare back in disbelief. He hadn't seen this colt for a very long time. The last time Jack had ever seen him, it was back on the Boeshmane Peninsula … back home.

"Gray?" Jack uttered.

Memories of times past blazed through Jack's mind.

"_Jack!" screamed somepony, "Jack!"_

_Jack turned to see his father running towards him. In tow was his younger brother, Gray, as were several other ponies. They were galloping as fast as they could on the Boeshmane Peninsula's sandy beaches. The young pegasus decided to close the distance and glided over to his clanmates. "What's up, Dad?" he asked as he landed softly on the sand._

"_Follow the others," his father said. The middle-aged pegasus nudged Gray towards Jack as he continued, "And keep Gray close to you."_

"_What's going on, Dad?" Jack asked._

"_Just take Gray and run, Jack!" his father commanded as he turned to the others. "All of you run or fly as fast as you can! I'm going back for anypony left behind!"_

_Jack moved to stop his dad, to get answers, to know what the hay was going on. Rather, he felt his younger brother's hoof tug at him by a small chunk of his clothing. "Listen to Papa, big brother," Gray said. He pulled at his elder brother's limb as the two watched their father fly back to the city._

_One of the ponies in the congregation spoke up. "Well, come on! Bang out!" The rest of the ponies followed direction without a nod or an audible tell-tale of confirmation. They ran. They ran as fast as their hooves could carry them. The group ran alongside the shore and made a left into a clearing surrounded by several palms and tropical shrubbery. The sand became firmer and less of a trial to move through the deeper inland they progressed._

_Jack turned his head to where he could see where he was going and look at his younger brother. "Gray, what happened?"_

"_The bad things are coming, big brother."_

_They leapt over a protruding root. "How can they? They'd always pass over us."_

_Jack and Gray slowed to duck under several low-hanging branches."Papa said they would come soon." Beyond the series of branches was a narrow trail that dipped down a steep decline. Long, dried grass lined either side of the path. Ahead of it led into the dense forest, where the Boeshmane ponies could hide from … _them. _The older of the pair pulled his younger counterpart along, carefully treading the steep descent and using their wings for stability and balance._

_They barely went a few meters when shrill calls and clicks pierced the air. They were followed by the emergence of black, winged creatures from the long grass. They leapt out at the pair and made more of the disgusting, insect-like noises._

With that, the memory ended. Jack felt himself sitting in the middle of the cobblestone street, coat gradually dampening under the light drizzle. His breath was labored and he felt light-headed. He gingerly brought a hoof to his temple as looked back at the street lamp.

The colt was gone.

_Gray …_

How long has it been since he last saw his little brother? Years definitely, but how many? Right now, Jack couldn't focus on how many nor did he care. He had just relieved some of the worst moments of his life. He felt weak, defeated, lost …

Incapable.

Irresponsible.

Pathetic.

How could he have let this happen? Jack sighed. He desperately needed to forget this. He needed to get through the night without any more nightmares of the past plaguing him like an illness. There had to be something, _anything_ to get away from reality. There was the possibility of shagging … yeah, he could link up with an old friend for a good old-fashioned evening of fooling around.

Who did he currently stand well with at a level where he could randomly do such a thing? _Pokey's out of the question; I left him on duty at the med center. Cloud Kicker? No, she's back in Ponyville. Maybe Berry Punch is available …_

Another thought crossed Jack's frazzled mind. He could also drink. He had a stash of alcoholic beverages in his office, including some of Berry Punch's wine, Apple Family cider and Stalliongrad vodka. That sounded better. Drown himself with every shot he took and slowly but surely Jack would forget the painful memories, if only for a while.

Having made up his mind, Jack rushed forward into the night. He would drink. He would get wasted beyond belief. He would be passed out on the floor with a bottle in his hoof, dreaming pleasant, liquor-induced dreams. And then Jack would be happy, having left behind the burdens of reality with his stockpile of booze

It was just what the doctor ordered.


End file.
